


Blow Out the Candles

by Ashiepants



Series: Head Over Feet [35]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Birthday, Childhood Memories, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gay, Gen, Hospital, M/M, Morning Sex, Sonny & Alex, cuteness, relationships, straight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 02:52:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6734971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashiepants/pseuds/Ashiepants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Al's birthday. Sonny has a few surprises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blow Out the Candles

Sonny awoke with the sun in his eyes. He rolled to face Alex, sleeping still, her hand clutching her pillow tightly. He smiled. He thought she would've wanted to create space between them in the days since she found out about Carla. He still felt unsure about being affectionate and guilty that he had hurt her feelings like that. The opposite had been true, she was closer to him than ever. She hadn't even been to her own apartment when she wasn't at work except to grab more clothes. He could get used to waking up like this. 

He reached out to pull her close to him. She stirred as he touched her hips. 

"Hey," she murmured eyes still shut. 

"Morning," he greeted, laying a soft kiss on her forehead. "Happy birthday!"

Alex smiled eyes still shut. "I'm tired."

"Probably because you're 30 now; you're old!" Sonny joked. 

"I can kick you in the nuts very easily in this position." She moved her leg between his. 

"Sorry." He quickly apologized with another kiss. "You want breakfast?"

"I want you," she grabbed him by the collar and pulled his lips to hers. 

Sonny hummed against her mouth and let her legs tangle with his, his knee pushing her thighs apart and her pushing her covered mound into his thigh. She humped herself against him slightly. 

"You want a quickie? It's food or sex, Al?" He asked, his hand already holding her at the base of her spine as he kissed her a little harder. 

"Sex!" She answered without hesitation. "I can eat later."

Sonny grinned and pushed her on her back. Alex smiled and pushed her pjs down her legs. Sonny did the same, but reached over to stroke her with his fingers, pushing her panties hastily aside. 

Alex sighed and put her knees up to splay her thighs for him. He licked his fingers and then replaced them back on her folds. She moaned. 

"C'mon, get wet for me baby."

The words did it. The combination of his accent and the impatience of his dirty talk made her flood. He rubbed her even more deliberately and sucked on her neck. 

"Please Sonny." She begged, her mind had already leapt to a daydream about this very act. She'd never had anyone to spoil her for her birthday.

He pulled himself on top of her. She could feel his erection running into her inner thigh and she groaned. A slight adjustment and he was filling her. She gasped at the sudden change but her face wore a grin. She opened her eyes to look at him and wrapped her arms around his neck as he started to thrust into her. 

Sonny moved steady and deliberate, pushing her thighs up as he moved. Alex's breath caught in her throat as she concentrated on him getting her off. He looked down at her face and then further and pulled on her camisole so he could see her breasts naked as they bounced with his efforts. Alex pulled on her nipples as he stared. 

"It feels good, Sonny!" She cried and bit her lip. "Yes!"

With her moans as encouragement Sonny pushed in harder, gripping her hips. As he felt her muscles contracting he could feel his control loosening. 

"Fuck, Al!" 

She moaned again and shut her eyes with pleasure. He thrusted a few times before coming inside her with a slight shutter. Alex watched his face when he came and it encouraged her own orgasm that triggered a second later when she felt his release. Something about his body reacting to hers always set her off. She radiated with afterglow as she smiled at him. 

As he held himself above her he grinned and chuckled. "Happy birthday, baby."

She pushed her hair away from her flushed face and grinned back. "Thanks. It's a good way to start a new year."

He smirked and he finally got off her. It was cold as soon as his body stopped pressing to hers. She squeezed into a shiver. 

"Aww, I'm sorry." He laid beside her her and blanketed her with half his body and arm. 

Alex curled herself to him. "You really have to go to work?"

"What do ya want me to do? Call out sick because it's ya birthday?"

She just raised her eyebrows. 

"Al," he scolded. "What about if I'm actually sick?"

She rolled her eyes. "Sonny you're not going to get sick."

"I could get sick!"

"What, do you only get one sick day a year? Lie!"

He sighed. 

"Can you be late?" Alex bargained. 

He grinned and kissed her. "5 more minutes and then I have to shower."

"10 more and I shower with you..." She grinned. 

He returned her look. "Al..."

"But it's my birthday," she pouted. 

Sonny rolled his eyes. "You're a grown-"

"Your dick is gonna be immaculate." She added. 

He felt his blush but at the same time a jolt of passion head straight to his groin. He kissed her neck. 

"I can't be more than 30 minutes late." He said definitively.   
****   
"Hi babe." Walt smiled trapping his phone between his shoulder and ear. 

Rafael had rarely been the one to call and attempt to make plans it's him. "Hey I just...Carmen can you get me the Preston file. I'm really busy..."

"Sounds like." Despite the disappointment he was just happy he didn't have to beg for the attention. 

"So don't worry about trying to see me tonight. It won't be worth it and you're just going to get frustrated."

Walt smiled. "Well what's got you so busy?"

"Preparing for a big case...it's...I'm sorry I can't talk about it but it needs my entire attention."

"Claro que si," Walt nodded on his end of the line. 

"I'll see you on Friday though."

"Friday?" Walt raised an eyebrow. "What's Friday?"

"Your sister's party." He answered matter of factly. "Did you call her today?"

Walt wanted to giggle at the slight scolding in his voice. Even a week ago and this man wouldn't have mentioned Walt's family. 

"What am I going to do with myself tonight?" Walt smirked. 

"Watch Star Wars again." Rafael shot back and Walt could almost see his smile. "Thanks Carmen."

The reminder that he was at work made Walt straighten, the grin disappearing. "Go ahead and get back to work. I'll see you Friday."

"Yes, call her in...what?" He went back to Walt. 

"I love you. I'll see you Friday," he repeated. 

"Friday." He hung up. 

Walt smiled stupidly and set his phone down on his desk. He briefly looked around the "office" just to see if anyone had been listening. He'd barely lived under Don't Ask Don't Tell but it didn't exactly die with the repeal. Homophobia ran rampant in military units and despite how well liked Walt was it still sometimes took time before he was completely open. He was proud of who he was but there was a certain amount of gauging he had to do before he was at ease mentioning boyfriends. Walt had to scold himself for these moments where he looked around waiting for the bigot to emerge. Law was on his side, whether or not someone wanted to attempt to bully him. 

He opened his laptop and checked schedules. He had a class in about an hour. If Rafael hadn't been so busy he could've spent time talking to him. It was better conversation than he'd have with the guys around here. Children really, most straight from high school, learning Farsi from Walt and shipping off to fight wars they don't understand. They all wanted to talk about Call of Duty or girls. They came from everywhere but Walt would guess 70% had never met a Muslim and could see the difference between a Sunni, Shiite, or a Mexican. He sighed, not his pay grade. 

If he had time he might as well call his sister. She'd been sequestered in relationship mode. He had to admit it was nice seeing her this way. Sonny was good for her. For the first time in years she was herself. She came alive in a way he hadn't been before. It meant she wasn't dwelling on worrying about him being across the world or Henry, even if at the moment they were home and 'safe.'

He opened up his FaceTime to call Alex. This was like old times, setting up birthday video chats. She always said she hated it because she couldn't pretend he wasn't wherever he was, you can't disguise the inside of a tent, but he knew she loved it. Alex loved the attention her birthday afforded her. It was the only time she got away with being a princess about it. 

"Happy birthday old lady!" He greeted as soon as her face came into view. 

"Really?" She rolled her eyes. 

"You're always gonna be older than me Al!"

"I'm gonna remember this when you turn 30!"

Walt laughed. "Well I just wanted to say happy birthday. Sorry I couldn't go to brunch."

"Oh don't worry Mom was nosy enough for the both of you." She explained. "'You and Sonny are getting serious!' She gets in my head."

"Maybe you're in your head," he chuckled. "We all like Sonny, we don't want you to screw it up."

Alex rolled her eyes again. "Thanks!"

She was quiet a minute. "You don't..." she laughed at herself. 

"What?"

"I was just...so I thought Sonny was cheating on me."

Walt couldn't help an outburst of laughter. "Sonny? Really Lex?"

"He was being really...weird and secretive and then I found this woman on Facebook that...I guess she was into him, but he didn't do anything..."

"Of course he didn't do anything. Sonny is a good boy and he loves you." Walt explained. 

"But I mean this was a victim who has his number and stuff..." She had to admit that it still bothered her, even though Sonny had apologized and they'd made up. 

Walt's eyes looked big as saucers. "A victim? Really? So he told you about it?"

"No, I found out." She shook her head. "She brought him cannoli to the precinct."

"Oh shit! You want me to hit him? He deserves a good smack for being such a dumbass." Walt laughed. 

"I think it came from a good place ya know just...he's a moron." Only the whites of her eyes were visible as she looked away. "And Sarah already hit him."

"Good for Sar. But honestly Lex, you believe that? 'It came from a good place'?" He raised an eyebrow. 

She looked cross. "Yeah!"

He made a face. "It's just...you still sound jealous."

She pouted. "I'm not jealous!"

"Yeah, you are." Walt smirked at her. "You have every right to be. That's your man! You and Sonny are practically married!"

"Married!?" The green came back in full force, staring widely at her brother through the screen, mouth hanging open. 

"What you don't wanna marry Sonny and give birth to his little dimpled babies?" He grinned. 

She hesitated. "...I dunno. I never...thought about it."

"Never?!" She could see Walt's hand fly up with his outburst. 

"No!" She yelled back. "I was too busy worrying about how to say 'I love you' and how to impress his mom and how to keep him from cheating on me with some kid's mom!"

"Calm down!" Walt soothed. "I'm not trying to work you up but that thought has entered Sonny's mind. I guarantee it!"

"He's told you?" She chewed her lip and looked away again, getting lost in her own imagination. 

"No," he disagreed. "But he's a Catholic they think a lot about being fruitful and multiplyin'."

Alex frowned but she was quiet. 

"Hey, c'mon, you probably are gonna marry him."

"Maybe...in like a year." She negotiated. 

"A year from now? Don't be dumb Al, you and I both know--"

"I'm not ready. We don't even live together!" Alex argued. 

"Yeah but--"

"But nothing!" She was yelling again. 

Walt chuckled. 

"What?"

"You're so stubborn! All I'm saying is you love him and he loves you and you're not spring chickens. You're gonna be married and pregnant and you're gonna tell me you don't remember this conversation. Just you wait!"

Alex sat with her own sour expression. "Speaking of looove..."

"Don't start." Walt started to roll his own green eyes. 

"Whole weekend with Rafael, huh? YOU gettin' married you old lesbian!"

"No. Stop. It's not that serious!"

She clicked her tongue. "Who's being stubborn now?"

He sighed. "I'm trying to ease into it but... I really like him."

"Uh huh," she grinned. "I heard that before! Then you were 'keeping your stuff at Mat's place' and then came the change of address forms."

"Well Mat was an eager as I was...Rafael is...less eager."

"He didn't look less eager on New Years." Alex wiggled her eyebrows, her eyes flashing gleefully. 

"He was drunk!" Walt sighed, picking up his arm to lean on. 

Alex started to agree, moving her head into a nod. 

"...because you're a bad influence!"

"Oh I made him take tequila shots? He offered them to me!" She fought. 

"You make him nervous!" Walt insisted.

"Yeah when you start to fall seriously for someone their siblings start to be scary..." She added and grinned. 

Walt softened. "You think he's falling for me?"

"Why wouldn't he, Walter?"

He sighed. "I dunno." He seemed to scowl at himself. 

It wasn't unnoticed by his sister. 

"He hasn't seen...ya know everything..." Walt trailed off. She could see his eyes darting around whatever place he was into see if anyone was listening. 

"What does that mean?" Alex raised her eyebrow. 

"You know what I mean!" He snarled. 

"So you can't believe he might really be into you because you haven't been a wreck yet? Maybe you're happy!" 

He sighed. "It's not just happy or sad--"

"I know that but it's not like he's going to think you're crazy. You're not crazy, Walt!"

He continued to look somewhat upset. 

"Well..." She frowned, she knew this wasn't the time or place to get into it with him. He would only get more upset and then blame her if someone from work got wind of his personal life. "Ya wanna do something this weekend? Friday night?"

He locked eyes with her on the screen, tiny hint of smile. "I got plans Friday."

"You bottoming?" She laughed. 

He rolled his eyes. "Guess you've only reached the maturity level of a 12-year-old!"

"How's this for mature? I took a shift tonight because they're short 2 nurses. I'm working a night shift on my 30th birthday."

"I was on the ground in Egypt during the revolution on my 25th!"

"Why are you trying to one up me?" She scowled. 

Walt laughed. "It's my job as a baby brother. Have a good night at work, Al. Hopefully it's the slowest medical emergency night in history."

She smirked. "Yeah thanks."

"Happy birthday, Lexi!" He waved as he signed out.   
****  
He pounded on the desk, but Alex didn't flinch only look up at him shrewdly. 

"Lady, you gotta help me! I think I'm paralyzed!"

"Did you just walk up to the desk?" She craned her neck up lazily with an unblinking stare. 

"Y-yeah--"

"Then I would say not paralyzed. Have you signed in?" She asked, eyes flicking to the clipboard. 

He signed with a scowl and shuffled back to the seats in the waiting room. 

Behind him the tall detective strode towards Alex with a grin, holding up a bag of something steaming inside. Alex grinned back and held open the door that allowed him inside her little cubicle. 

"How come he goes right in?" The man from earlier yelled, coming towards the desk once more. 

Sonny was quicker than Alex, pulling his badge from his hip with one hand and announcing, "Police matter. Be seated sir."

Alex smiled widely at him as he turned back with a dimpled grin and leaned into her ear. "Can you take a break?"

She nodded, unable to speak, just excited he was here. It struck her that she'd never been so excited to be torn away from her work or to see her boyfriend. When they called and begged her to work she couldn't say no, birthday or no birthday. Her sense of duty was too strong and as she reminded herself she was a real adult. Adults don't take vacations for their birthday. 

"I got Pangione's, if you can't go ta dinner for ya birthday dinner comes to you."

"I love you." She blushed and picked up the phone on the desk. "Devon? I need a lunch break."

Before Devon arrived, Alex opened the other door on the back of her cube that led to the ER proper and pulled Sonny out by the hand onto the floor. The nurses station was decorated with black helium balloons. 

"What's with the decor?" Sonny smirked, food in one hand and Alex's palm firmly pressed to his opposite. 

Alex rolled her eyes. "Over the hill..."

"Eyy, it's detective hair gel!" Dr. Dave Malucci greeted Sonny and grinned at his co-workers tight grip on him. 

Sonny grinned. "Hey Dr. Dave."

"McClure show you my decorations?"

"Oh you did dis?" He laughed. 

"Anything for our girl. Sucks to work on your birthday." He mooned at Alex and she scowled in return. 

"Yeah, dats why I brought dinner." He held up the bag again. 

"Well..." Malucci smiled at the couple broadly but unable to really phrase what he thought of the couple. He'd known Alex for years now but never once had he seen her holding hands and introducing anyone. Hospital gossip usually told him of her affairs, but this was the first he heard straight from her mouth. 

"How romantic!" Hope appeared at the station behind them. 

Alex rolled her eyes. "Will you take triage?"

She nodded "yeah, but kid in 5 needs amoxicillin and saline."

"Done." Alex agreed taking the chart from her outstretched hand. "C'mon Sonny."

He blindly followed carrying the food along with him. He'd been in the ER a million times already and even had worked with some of Alex's patients but never had he followed her and saw what she did. She hustled into a small pharmacy where she grabbed a small vial and a covered syringe she slipped into her pocket. He stood to the side as she walked down the hall and pulled back the curtain on 5 revealing a little boy no more than 9 years old and his father dozing in the chair beside him. 

"Hey, Morgan, I'm Alex. I'm gonna give you some medicine." She carefully measured and pulled back the stopper. 

"Who's he?" The kid pointed at Sonny. 

"That's my boyfriend Sonny." Alex answered before he could. "He brought me dinner."

"That's nice!"

"It is really nice." Alex agreed, pushing the contents of the syringe into his IV line. "It's my birthday."

"How old are you?"

Alex laughed as she continued to work. "Older than you."

"How old?"

She paused, finally getting the bag changed and watching it drip. "I'm 30 today."

"Whoa!"

"Hey!" Alex teased with a laugh, pausing as she noted in his chart. 

"That's really old!"

She smirked. "Thanks Morgan. Get some sleep. We'll come check on ya soon."

"Sonny too?"

Sonny laughed. "Probably not, buddy. Feel better."

Alex shut the curtain behind them and motioned Sonny towards the break room near the nurses station. 

"Dere's not somewhere more private?"

She laughed. "What are you thinking? A nice private booth in the back?"

He smirked. "Naw just..." He took her hand and looked around the floor. "What about ovah there?"

Alex looked over and smiled. "Sure."

They walked over to the empty trauma room. Sonny placed the bag of food on the middle of the gurney there and each pulled up a round wheeled stool, Alex stealing hers from the room adjacent. 

"Dat kid gonna be okay?"

"He has the flu Sonny, he'll be fine." She wanted to laugh. "Not everyone in here is dying."

He smirked as he unpacked food and handed her a plastic fork. "So what do we call dis room?"

"Trauma 3." She answered. 

"So dis is where..."

She nodded. "Yup this is where the magic happens."

Sonny frowned slightly. "Alright enougha dis! I went all out. Lasagna with sausage, sautéed mushrooms on da side."

She giggled. "Big spender!"

"It's ya birthday; you deserve dat extra two fifty!" He smiled and handed her a serving of food with a piece of bread to go with it. 

"I'm glad you came." She smiled as she ate. 

He nodded. "Birthday dinners are important."

"Are they?" She laughed. 

"Yeah! My ma always makes my favorite for my birthday. Cheese tortellini wit Italian sausage...mmm."

"Sounds like you. Every birthday?"

He nodded again. "Well as an adult. As a kid she made dinner but I had a party with all my cousins and stuff. My uncle has a pool and my birthdays in August. Dat was always fun."

"Sounds like it."

"Ya gotta meet dem. I mean slowly. Dere's a lot."

"I gotta lotta cousins too. I just avoid half." She laughed. 

Sonny scowled. 

"Why does that bother you? I mean they're not all in New York even. A lot on Long Island, but ya know we grew up far away. We weren't very close. And some of my dad's brothers are...losahs!" 

He shrugged. "Different. I'm sorry. So what was your best birthday?"

"This one is pretty high on the list." She chewed her lip as she smiled up through her lashes. 

Sonny winked. 

"Hmm best birthday," she chewed on it a minute. "When I turned 9 we were in Italy and my dad promised he'd take us to the beach--"

"In January?"

"In Italy!" She smirked. "Anyway we were always landlocked on the base but he promised and then as the day approached he got stuck at the hospital. And I got really upset. And my mom was gonna take us herself but I got really bratty about it and only wanted dad---"

"Dis is your BEST birthday?"

"Wait! So he finally gets home and it's like 9:30 and I've been 9 forever!" She stopped to laugh. "and I came out of my room and I told him how disappointed I was in him."

Sonny laughed. "How'd he take that?"

"He cracked up. This tiny little girl just yelling at her dad. I really let him have it."

"I can imagine dis."

"Well after I was done he apologized and then he asked if I wanted to go somewhere else. So he takes me, just me. He takes me to the hospital and I'm like pissed off. I was such a brat. So he takes me in and tells me that this is what he's been doing all day. He took me to the post op floor where there were a couple guys resting and he tells them I'm his little girl and he missed my birthday. And these guys, young guys, tell me that they were so grateful my dad was there because he saved their lives. I remember being blown away. Like ya know how kids have superheroes or clowns at their parties?"

Sonny laughed. "Yeah Bella peed her pants cause my dad got her a clown when she turned 5."

"Well my dad was a super hero to me. And he made all the guys on the floor sing me happy birthday and I got my own cupcake from the mess, with a match in it because there were no candles." She smiled at the memory. "That was my best birthday. And Walt and Henry were soooo jealous!"

"That was ya favorite part I bet!"

"Yup!" She grinned. 

Sonny grinned wide. "My Nonno let me sit on his lap with the sirens blaring in his cop car when it was my birthday. I think I was like 5 or 6. 'Just Sonny!' He said. We rode up in down every block on dah island. He was my hero."

"Did you wear the policeman's cap? That's adorable!"

Sonny smiled at her as she skewered pasta on her fork. 

"Anyway, this birthday probably ranks: I got laid, I got pasta..."

He smirked. "Ya welcome. Sorry ya had to work."

"Probably what I get for making you late this morning." She winked back, her mouth full of food. 

He stared back at her a moment, both communicating with their eyes about the morning in the shower. 

"Alex?" They were interrupted by the male nurse, Devon. "We need the room."

"Sorry," Sonny quickly gathered the food and slipping it back into the bag. 

"You need me?" Alex asked. 

Devon nodded affirmatively as he readied the room. "Two alarm fire...3 criticals, a dozen minors at least."

"Shit." Alex whispered, locking eyes with Sonny for a brief second. He frowned at her grave face. She pulled him out of the room with their dinner.

"I'll leave dis in the lounge you can finish later."

She dragged him into a small room off the hall, pulling him tightly towards her and kissing him with fervor. He kissed back once he got his barring, loving the fierceness and the small thrill of urgency. 

Her eyes were lit brightly when she pulled away from the kisses. "Thanks babe. It was really nice. Thanks for making my birthday special."

"Oh you ain't seen nothing yet!" Sonny suddenly grinned. 

"What?" She furrowed her eyebrows started to get distracted by the movement in the trauma room behind her. 

"Dere's a little more. Don't worry it's a surprise."

"A surprise?"

He just continued to grin and nod as she was pulled away and back to work.   
****  
"Why won't you tell me where we're going?" Alex sat on her bed and pouted. 

"It's a surprise! Dats how surprises work!" He called from the bathroom, tightening the towel at his waist. 

Sonny swiped at the water in his face with another towel before pressing it to his wet locks and walking into the bedroom. 

Alex was almost fully dressed in a black dress with a generous scoop neckline with a lace detail. Sonny grinned. 

"Ya look great." He wiggled an eyebrow. 

"That what you're wearing detective?"

"You wish!" He teased, dropping the towel as he grabbed the fresh boxers he laid out beside her. 

Alex glanced up and down her boyfriend's form with pleasure. Noticing, Sonny gave her a smirk of disproval. 

"We don't got time for dat."

"3 minutes tops...?" She winked. 

"Put ya shoes on." He directed pulling the boxers up and into place. "You do know it's about 20 degrees outside, right?"

"So?" She asked pulling on suede ankle boots over her knit tights. 

He appraised her outfit again. "Because dat dress does nothing for da windchill."

She smirked. "We gonna be outside? I don't know where we're going I'm just looking cute."

He leaned down and kissed her, "well you do. And it will be fine."

"C'mon just tell me where we're going!" She urged. 

Sonny gave her a swift shake of his head. "No way. Finish gettin' ready, we gotta leave soon."

She just rolled her eyes and continued dressing. Sonny returned to the bathroom to add product to his hair. 

"You can't forego that crap for one night?" Alex begged as she appeared behind his shoulder in the mirror. 

He rolled his eyes. 

"For my birthday?" Her eyes were wide as she begged. 

"I already gave you sex, hospital pasta dinner, dis surprise, and now I gotta give you messy hair."

She grinned wide and nodded. 

He pouted his lips as he added a scoop of pomade anyway. "No dice, Princess."

"Fuck you Sonny." Her angry eyes met his in the glass but quickly turned to a laugh. 

"C'mon ya don't really care what I do with my hair!"

She shrugged as her phone buzzed on top of the chest of drawers just outside the bathroom door. She walked over to grab it and released a surprised laugh as she went back to the doorway. 

"It's Johannson." She grinned holding it out to Sonny.

He grimaced, wiping his hand on a nearby towel before grabbing the phone. "I can't remember if ya birthday is today or yestaday, but happy birthday Nurse!" He read. "What a tool--WHOA! What kinda pleasure is he gettin' outta sending you his..."

He swiped away from the offending appendage. 

Alex laughed. "His penis? Did he really?"

She took the phone back and laughed. "Jesus he's not even--"

Sonny looked over his shoulder at her. 

"What?" She upturned one palm.

"What makes him think it's okay to send you dat anyway?"

She rolled her eyes. "Who do ya think I used to send all those selfies to?"

"Yeah...but ya got a boyfriend now..."

"Oh, Alex thinks I made you up!" She laughed. "I mean I don't even respond to him now. He sends this totally uninvited."

Sonny smirked. "How bout we let him know I'm a real man..."

"Ya gonna send him YOUR dick!?" She looked gleeful

Sonny pouted. "No." 

He took her phone a moved behind her, leaning down to kiss her cheek and he put the camera in position in front of them. 

"Sonny," she giggled in protest. 

"Wait!" He set the phone down and quickly unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. "Push ya boobs up!"

"What?" She asked confused as he tried to frame out the selfie again. 

"We gotta look like we're super hot." He explained. 

"You're so weird when you're jealous." She laughed and pulled each boob up in the cups of her bra. 

She looked at the position of the camera and the pair of them posed. Kissing and clinging to each other until they had one that would make Johannson appropriately jealous. 

"Send dat and tell him ya boyfriend says he needs better lighting." Sonny raised his eyebrow as he tossed her phone on the counter and shrugged his shirt back on. 

Alex grinned at him. 

"What?"

"I've never seen you this jealous." Her grin deepened. "I like it."

"Yeah well don't go makin' it a habit or nothing." He shrugged and straightened himself. "Ya ready?"

"I need some lipstick but my boyfriend is hogging the mirror." She shot back. 

Sonny stepped aside so she had full reign. Alex ran her fingers thought her hair and grabbed a small cosmetic bag from the drawer and began applying a layer of bright red lipstick. 

Sonny just watched, as he was finished with his primping. 

"Like what ya see?" She smirked. 

"Real hot!" His eyebrows wiggled again. 

"Oh," she suddenly remembered. "I almost forgot!"

She tossed the bag sans the lipstick that was still in her hand in the vanity drawer and flounced out of the bathroom. On the dresser she grabbed a shiny item and placed on top of her head. She turned to smile at Sonny who had followed her. 

"Nice, Al!" He smirked, putting his hands on his jutted hip. 

"Now I'm a real princess." She proudly displayed the sparkly and rhinestone studded tiara topping her dark hair. 

"Dat's ridiculous. Even for you!" 

She scowled. "I don't care. It's my birthday and I can do whatever I want."

"Actually, Al," he grabbed his coat on his way to the living room. "Ya birthday was Wednesday and it's Friday now so..."

"You are just asking for it tonight Carisi!" 

He turned to smirk at her. "Just you wait!"  
****  
Alex hugged her leather jacket around her body as they walked. It hadn't snowed but it looked like it might want to. Sonny hugged her shoulders knowing she was freezing in the little dress she insisted on. 

"So do I get to know now?" She asked him.

He shook his head again. 

"Well we're still in Brooklyn least I know you're not taking me to Staten Island to propose."

Sonny stopped and looked at her with a furrowed brow. "Did- is that what you thought?"

She shrugged. "Maybe...I'm not saying I woulda said yes..."

Sonny smiled, dimples flexing. 

"I mean...6 months isn't really that long, just to me and I was a little terrified but I was trying to play it cool." She looked up at him and met his gaze finally. "Did I seem like I was being cool?"

He leaned in with an even bigger smile and kissed her firmly, grabbing the sides of her face. "Al I love you."

She grinned up at him when he pulled away. 

"Princess." He smirked at her tiara again, flicking one rhinestone. 

She rolled her eyes. "So it's not a fancy dinner or a proposal...so...?"

"Almost dere." He put his hand on her lower back to usher her down the street. 

She gave him a determined look and crossed her arms. She looked around, she knew this street and tried to figure out what would be a surprise in this neighborhood. The answer was nothing. Nothing was surprising in the part of town she spent the most time in that wasn't the hospital. 

"Oh my god!" She suddenly shouted. "Sonny are we just going to O'B's?"

He gave her an embarrassed smile. Alex shoved him away from her. 

"That's not a surprise!" She yelled. "I go there once a week anyway! Oh my god!"

He smiled. "Al...it's...it's more than dat. Would you come with me?"

She sighed and crossed her arms. "I have lowered expectations." She pouted. 

Sonny rolled his eyes and he gripped one tightly crossed arm. "Lower away!"

He pulled her towards O'Branahan's brightly lit green sign. Beer and liquor neons shown out the darkened windows. She continued to look sour. She spend her last birthday here, at least started the night here, ended it too if she could remember properly. 

They stopped just short of the door. She pursed her lips. 

"What are we doing? Making an entrance?" She asked. 

He knocked on the glass of the front door in a succession of 3, while grinning at Alex. 

She just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 

"Uncross your arms, ya baby."

"Sonn-"

"I mean, ya highness!" He pulled her tiara off, that was sitting on the outside of the beanie she put on to fight the cold and placed back on her hair when he pulled the beanie off. 

She smirked. He motioned with his chin. "Go on!"

She watched him curiously as she pushed the door in ahead of him. The bar looked conspicuously empty. She could see Nick behind the bar and one lonely patron, the old Asian man who was alway there no matter now many hipsters filtered through. 

"Sonny-" she started to turn. 

A cacophony of noise bounded forth a second later causing Alex to turn back to the whole room "SURPRISE!"

She took a step back into Sonny, clearly stunned. 

"Oh fuck!" She was overwhelmed by the amount of people in the bar, everyone near and dear and even those not to dear, co-workers, some of Sonny's. 

"Are you wearing a fucking tiara?!" Henry was nearest the door and limped over to pull her into a hug. "Happy birthday!"

"You guys are officially the same age for 2 weeks!" Walt squeezed her after Henry. 

"Irish fucking twins man." Henry added. "You need a drink, Lex?"

She was grinning from ear to ear unable to respond to anything because her shocked excitement. 

"Vah-kah cranberry for the birthday girl!" Sarah announced stepping forward with a drink all ready. 

Alex somehow took it as Sarah also pulled her into a side hug. She turned around to see Sonny beaming at her. 

"You did all this!?" She asked, pausing to sip to lower her excitement. 

"We did!" Sarah smiled. "Well...it was Slim's idea." She admitted. 

Sonny squeezed Sarah's shoulder. "It was a group effort."

Alex pushed her drink at Sarah and passed her to bury herself in Sonny's arms. 

"Happy birthday, Al." He hugged her. 

"This is better than a proposal," she murmured into his ear not loud enough for anyone else to hear. 

Sonny grinned and swatted her ass, "c'mon lets party!"

As they came more fully into the bar, towards the booth they practically lived in Henry could still be heard, "but really, what's with the crown?!"

"Ya know our girl, the original half-Jewish princess." Sarah winked at Henry leering at his substantial if a little hunched form. 

"Don't do that!" He narrowed his eyes and walked away from her, Sarah cackling in his wake. 

Rafael was sitting at the table they picked out for Alex. He smiled warmly. 

"Feliz cumpleaños!" He raised his scotch to the birthday girl. 

"Thanks," she beamed, sliding in. "Got here before they yelled surprise huh?"

Alex smirked at him when she got close. He almost blushed, glanced at Walt, and then coughed before answering, "it's a surprise party!"

Meanwhile Sonny noticed Walt staring at him. He moved uncomfortably at Walt's hungry stare. 

"If I knew you were gonna wear those pants I would've brought a change of panties." 

Sonny threw him a disgusted look. "Dats a little inappropriate, even from you!"

Walt shrugged. "Ya look good, Staten Island."

"If you wanted to ogle Carisi you could've at least not invited me here." Rafael added coolly. 

Walt turned scarlet. "Well-" he stammered.

"Ah, don't worry about it Raf. Walt is always flirtin'!"

"Lovely." His expression stayed sour as he sipped his drink. 

"It's fruitless. Sonny is all mine. I will physically fight my own flesh and blood to secure it." Alex explained to Rafael and grinned menacingly at her brother. 

"If I really wanted Sonny I coulda had him by now!" Walt sassed. 

Sonny rolled his eyes. "Love da way I'm an object to you two!"

Henry finally caught up with them and clapped Sonny on the shoulder. He pushed a cocktail at him. "Here, it'll numb the effects of McClure."

"What is--?"

"Well don't numb all the effects," Alex winked. 

"Whiskey and Coke." Henry replied. 

Sonny began to shake his head as Sarah interjected with a laugh. 

"Sonny never has more than beer, you trying to loosen him up too, Soldier?"

Henry glared at her from over his shoulder. 

"If you won't drink it, I will." Angela grinned and reached for the glass out of Sonny's hand. "My husband paid for it after all. He must think we're rich!" She rolled her eyes at Henry. 

"Happy Birthday Alex!" She added after she tasted the drink. 

Alex smiled broadly. She enjoyed all their banter and it wasn't often she in her brothers were in the same city, let alone together for birthdays. 

She looked across at Sonny who was taking a beer from Sarah. He winked at her when they locked eyes. 

Henry plopped down in the booth beside his sister, drink spilling over as he set it down hard. He dropped a binder on the table next. 

"So who's gonna sing first?" He asked. 

"Sing?" Alex almost spit out her drink. 

"Yeah, karaoke!" He pointed to the make shift stage. "What about you Rafael? You sing?"

He shook his head. "Not even with the radio."

"Oh we're gonna need a lot more drinks!" Alex announced and Rafael looked over at her curiously. "I mean if we're gonna get you to sing me happy birthday!"  
****  
Well into the evening Sonny grabbed Alex's elbow pulling her away from some of her friends from the hospital. 

"Sorry, I just gotta tell the birthday girl something." He apologized. 

She smiled at him lovingly as he pulled her away to a more private area of the bar. 

Her cheeks were pink with a cape cods people kept bringing her. She looked nervously up at Sonny. He squeezed her shoulder when he saw her apprehension. 

"Whatsa matter?"

Her eyes were almost glassy and she swallowed before she spoke. "You've done too much already Sonny...please."

He reached into his jacket anyway but she caught his arm. 

"Don't, don't!" She pled. "I'm not ready."

He smiled but remained confused as he pulled out an envelope. Alex sighed relief. 

"What's going on?" He asked. 

Another layer of pink filled her cheeks. "I...I still thought you were gonna propose."

Sonny looked sympathetic. "Is that scary?"

She just chewed her lip and looked down. 

"Walt said--"

Sonny pulled her up by the chin so he could look her in the eye. "Is dat who put this in your head?"

"I love you Sonny but--" she started to make excuses. 

"Ey, I'm not ready to get married." He finally got out. 

She started to breath easier. 

"We don't even live together yet. Ya haven't even met my Nonno!" He shrugged. 

"That's what I said!" She added, squeezing his waist. 

He grinned down at her. "Don't listen to a Walt! He's not in dis relationship."

Alex finally grinned. 

"Now open your real present."

"Sonny you've done so much!"

He shook his head. "Ya gonna like dis!"

She opened the envelope carefully, holding her breath nervously in a way Sonny had never really seen before. He touched the top of her head. 

"I'm drunk," she apologized. 

Sonny laughed. She finally freed the card from the envelope. It wasn't so much a card as it was a folded print out. She laughed when she saw the NYPD letterhead.

"I don't know how to change the paper in the printer," Sonny admitted. 

She unfolded the paper and read it carefully. Sonny watched her nervously as she did. 

"Wait, what is this?" She looked up questioning. 

He grinned and took the paper. "It's a trip, for us."

"A trip?" She gave him a half smile. 

"Little place in Niagara Falls." He went on. 

"Niagara Falls? Sonny-"

"Good, right?"

"It's winter, this says February."

"Oh," his smile faded. "Well it was cheaper. And we'll probably stay inside anyway..."

She smiled and hugged him. "It's great!"

"It'll be just da two of us! I can't wait."

"I bet you can't!" She raised her eyebrows, swaying under the alcohol and falling slightly into him. 

He caught her. "Alright, da birthday girl is officially too drunk."

"Sonny," she murmured from her spot pressed to his chest. 

"Hmm?"

"Take me home."  
****  
Epilogue 

Sonny emerged from the bathroom stripped down to his boxers. Alex was already sleeping soundly, rolled on her side, still 90% dressed, her leather jacket had been thrown to the side but she was still in her dress, tights, and boots. He smiled. 

He walked over and pulled the boots off her feet and dragged the tights down her legs as well. That would hopefully keep her comfortable while she slept off her good time. Even under her dead weight he pulled the blankets from beneath her and covered her. Finally he laid down beside her, spooning her. 

Face buried in her neck Sonny moaned, "I love you, Alex."

She didn't respond but he kissed her neck anyway. He could do this forever: put her to bed after she drank too much, cuddle and hold her. There was an ease. There was a comfort. For the first time it struck him that this was who he wanted to be with not just as a girlfriend but as his wife. He fantasized it about a few minutes while he laid there beside her. How he would ask her, how she would say yes. 

"This is my wife, Alex." He murmured out loud and smiled to himself. 

It didn't matter if his mom still didn't like her or that Alex was still struggling with commitment. He could envision a thousand tomorrows laying here like this with her. This was going to be it. He hadn't truly thought that much about marriage before but now with his chest pressed to her back he wondered how soon could he get down to Florida so she could meet his Nonno. He wondered how long it would take for Al to be ready for him to ask her.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do so much more but I also really wanted to get this out because it's been so long (sorry). Maybe some little one shot/drabbles about the party later.


End file.
